Discovering Love
by luckyducky
Summary: Six months after Kagome had returned to her own time for good, she sees the Tetsusaiga in a museum and decides to take it back to the Feudal Era. But when she gets there, someone still wants the Tetsusaiga and now she doesn't have anyone to protect her..
1. Headed Back

Hey guys! I'm back again with a new story! Hope you like it and please tell me if you do!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha. I only own Yuki.

Now on to the story!!

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**Discovering Love**

**Chapter 1 – Headed Back**

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"Come on Kagome! We're at the museum! No schoolwork! Yippee!"

Kagome looked up at her friend Yuki as she danced around after getting off the school bus that had taken them from the school to the museum. Today was one of the school's educational field trips and Kagome's class had been chosen to go. Yeah it was a museum, but hey, it was way better than homework!

Kagome stood up and followed Yuki. All of her friends had been worried about her since she had returned from being "sick" since she hadn't been acting even close to normal, even for a recovering sick person. Everyone just figured that she was having a relapse and would have to stay home again soon; so most people just left her alone. But not Yuki. She was _always_ there.

As the class entered the museum, remarks of wonderment came from everyone's mouth. The museum was nothing short of gigantic. No wonder the teachers chose this museum. It would take them all day to cover the whole thing! But everyone had to admit, it was interesting, in a boring sort of way…

After the teachers had dismissed the students to wander where they will, Yuki had begun to practically drag Kagome around the museum. She was a major history buff and all the ancient relics were more exciting to her than boys.

Boys…

Kagome's mind hit a standstill, as her thoughts were flooded with happy, all right, and horrible memories of a certain dog-demon everyone thought was her "boyfriend." Her eyes brimmed with tears as the memories hit her like a freight train.

----Flashback----

Kagome landed in the well after flying through a weird looking blue light with a creature that wanted some kind of jewel. Completely rattled by the experience, Kagome looked up and saw clear blue sky, not the ceiling of the shrine. Confused, she began pulling herself up by the vines that were growing into the well until her head popped over the top. The sight that greeted her eyes was not what she was expecting…

"I don't think I'm in Tokyo anymore…" she said to herself as she looked at the lush green grass and the open clearing surrounded by trees and brush. Although this whole experience was somewhat unnerving, she decided to go and search for her shrine. Maybe this was all some kind of mix up…

Kagome finished pulling herself out of the well, took a deep breath, and began fighting her way through the undergrowth, looking for anything that would tell her where she was. And she was rewarded. There in the distance she saw the God Tree. She was almost home! She sped up and started calling out for her grandfather or Souta. Ecstatic, she broke through the last bit of brush, excited that she was almost home.

'Where is the shrine? And who is…that?'

Her gaze was completely captured by some strangely dressed guy with long silver hair. It seemed from where she was standing that he was stuck to the tree by some arrow…

----End Flashback----

Kagome willed her tears back, determined not to cry for his sake…he was a complete jerk! He didn't deserve her tears…not after what he had done to her…she rubbed her shoulder painfully at the memory.

----Flashback----

"Inuyasha! Please!" Kagome was sobbing as she looked into Inuyasha's red eyes. His face was contorted in lust. He didn't even know who she was anymore, only that she was female and that he wanted to mate with her.

A low growl came from his throat as he ripped at her clothing, bloodying her in the process. Blood ran down her shoulder from the bite he had given her. she had bitten his lip in reflex when he had snarled against her lips and she remembered the stinging sensation as she did so, for she had drawn his blood too. Kagome closed her eyes, praying that perhaps he would kill her before raping her – that she could not bear, for Inuyasha was a stranger now. Suddenly he had been yanked off of her, and thrown clear. Kagome opened her eyes and saw Sesshoumaru. She was sure from the way he looked at her he would kill her too.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" a little girl's voice cut into the tension.

"Go back, Rin." Sesshoumaru scowled at the little human girl.

Sesshoumaru – traveling with a little human girl?

"But – oh!" Rin looked down at Kagome. "She's hurt like Rin was hurt. Did wolves get her too?"

"Rin…" Sesshoumaru growled. "Jaken!"

Rin bent down to where kagome lay. "Rin is sorry. Sesshoumaru-sama saved Rin. Maybe he saves you too?" She looked up with pleading eyes to him.

Sesshoumaru said nothing but unsheathed his sword. Kagome closed her eyes, expecting the blow but none came. She felt some air swish against her, but when she opened her eyes, she felt – normal! Her body did not ache and the bleeding wound on her shoulder was healed! She looked up at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes.

"Arigato…" Kagome managed to say.

Sesshoumaru looked at her with disgust. "I cannot abide another misbegotten whelp like my hanyou brother. Rin, go to Jaken, now."

The little girl, Rin, beaming with happiness ran quickly over to Jaken who had now appeared. It wasn't a moment later when Inuyasha appeared, his face filled with rage at the one who intruded upon his mating. The fight had commenced then, but strangely enough, Sesshoumaru had not tried to kill Inuyasha – in fact once he was able to get Inuyasha back in control of himself, he left the hanyou on the ground and had given him a contemptuous look.

"Even with the Shikon no Tama, you'll never be a full youkai…" Sesshoumaru said lowly. "You have no control, you never will." And then he, Rin, and Jaken left them.

----End Flashback----

'What a fool I was!' Kagome thought to herself bitterly. 'To go back to him after doing something like that! Sometimes I question my own sanity…'

But the memories didn't stop there. One last reminisce had to force its way through. Of course, it would have to be this one – the one she dreaded thinking of above all other memories.

----Flashback----

"Yes, Kikyou. I choose you. The other girl is nothing more than a shard detector for me. She means nothing. I never loved her – only you."

Kagome sat in the brush, tears running down her face at the scene unfolding before her. Her heart felt like it was breaking in two – she didn't know that one could feel such pain.

The ground opened up beneath the two lovers, ready to swallow both into hell, where Kikyou would finally be able to rest, seeing as Inuyasha would be dead.

As Inuyasha leaned in closer to Kikyou, ready to kiss, Kagome could bear no more. She turned and ran through the forest. Branches and thorns scratched her face, arms, and legs as she sprinted. But she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. All she wanted to do was go home and never return again.

The bushes and trees gave way as she burst into the clearing and saw the well in the middle. With her last bit of energy she flung herself into the well, feeling the slightest pang of regret and not telling her friends she was leaving – and never coming back. As she floated through the blue light images of her friends danced before her eyes.

Shippou was the first. He was stuffing his face with the chocolate she had always brought back for him. Then there was Sango. She was like the sister Kagome had never had… she would miss her dearly and hoped with all her heart that she and her brother Kohaku would someday be reunited once again. Then came Miroku. Oh the lecher! But no matter how many times he had groped her or Sango, she could bear him no ill will.

As she landed in her own time in the well and the blue light faded, the tears broke through. She could not hold them back. For all the trust she had put in Inuyasha to care for her, he had done nothing but betray her feelings. But that was it now! He was in hell with the only person he loved, Kikyou. But through all of her tears, she managed to say three magic words that sealed the well…forever. She was never going back and no one was coming to get her.

----End Flashback----

Although it had been almost six months since the incident, the memories of that night were still fresh and raw. No matter how much she had tried to move on with her life, it just never felt right. Hopefully someday, her wounds would heal. But deep in her heart, she knew she would never be the same person again – for she was no longer completely human. The night that Inuyasha had tried to rape her during his blood lust, he had bitten her, marking her and transferring some of his hanyou powers to her. Consequently, she had become a hanyou herself. A hanyou stuck in the twenty-first century. Yep, Inuyasha had screwed up her life all right…

Yuki, who had been running (well not actually _running_) all over the museum squealed in delight and slid to a stop in front of a glass case. "Look Kagome! Look!"

When Yuki had screeched, it had thoroughly broken Kagome's reverie and snapped her back to reality. With a slight wince, since her hearing had become keener, she focused on the object of Yuki's amazement, and her mouth fell open. It was the Tetsusaiga! Here! In a normal museum in modern day Tokyo! Kagome had never thought of the possibility of Tetsusaiga being in her time.

"It's fascinating isn't it?" a voice said behind them, startling both Kagome and Yuki so they jumped. "It's a genuine artifact that was said to be used by a hanyou in during the feudal era. There is a legend that surrounds this sword if you care to hear it…" the man trailed off looking at them expectantly.

Alarms went off in Kagome's head as she thought of how she might be involved in the story, since it was Inuyasha's sword, but before she could say anything Yuki shrieked, "Yes! Yes! Oh please, do tell us!"

Trying not to look to pleased with himself, the man cleared his throat. "Well, it all started with a youkai lord who was said to be of amazing size and stature, the Youkai Lord of the Western Lands. When he was young, it is said, he mated the first beautiful demon that was offered to him from the Lord of the Eastern Lands, since it would be beneficial to be at peace with the other Lords. After about three years, she bore him a youkai son who they named Sesshoumaru. However, during a tragic battle with a giant panther youkai, his mate was killed, leaving him in danger of losing his position. So, he began searching for another mate, and surprised all youkai when he chose a human. Yes, it is said she was beautiful enough to be an angel, but youkai lords do not approve of humans, and scorned him for his decision. But he loved her, and eventually she too bore him another son, Inuyasha, but, alas, he was only a hanyou."

"When the great youkai lord finally passed away, the older son, Sesshoumaru, inherited the title as Lord of the Western Lands, and his first decision as Lord was to banish his half brother, Inuyasha, from the kingdom, never to return. In time, Sesshoumaru learned of a sword his father had left in his tomb, a sword that was said to be able to slaughter one hundred youkai, and began searching for the tomb, only to find it in a black pearl, hidden deep within Inuyasha's eye. After they had battled it out for the sword, which Inuyasha won since he was the rightful owner of the Tetsusaiga, they parted ways, occasionally meeting again for skirmishes."

Kagome sighed, bored at the fact that she knew all of this already, but Yuki was beside herself with excitement. This was all new to her and she was eating it up – every last thing the man was saying.

"Eventually, the hanyou Inuyasha was consumed by a long-time love for an undead miko and chose to join her in hell where they could finally be together in peace. But, unbeknownst to him, when he chose to do that, he erased part of a legend that could have happened."

What was this? Kagome had never heard of another legend involving the Tetsusaiga. What could this weird man be talking about?

"According to legend, it is said that one day a hanyou, other than Inuyasha, would wield Tetsusaiga, much more skillfully than Inuyasha ever had, alongside its brother sword, the Tenseiga. But when Inuyasha went to hell, the magical sword Tetsusaiga disappeared, and the legend remained incomplete."

During that last bit of the story, kagome's attitude had done a complete turn around. She had listened attentively, almost as much as in school, interested in this bit of history she had never heard of. Thoughts whirred through her mind like electric surges of energy. She had access to the feudal era if she felt like returning. Maybe the legend could still be completed… maybe it wasn't too late. She could find this hanyou that was destined to wield the Tetsusaiga, give it to him and change history. That was an idea…

"Come on Kagome! Let's keep going!" Yuki yelled at her as she walked backwards.

But Kagome waved her hand nonchalantly. "Nah, you go ahead. I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick and then I'll catch up with you." Yuki waved, turned around, and walked to another glass case.

Kagome turned back to the Tetsusaiga. She knew what she _could_ do, but she wasn't even one hundred percent sure she would be able to open up the well again. She had been back in her own time for so long, there was a slight chance her miko powers had been weakened. But she had to try.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the Tetsusaiga. She could feel its energy begin to pulse, calling out to her, _remembering_ her! All of a sudden, Kagome felt a weight in her hand that hadn't been there before. She opened her eyes to see the Tetsusaiga in her hand, not in the glass case. Moving quickly, knowing if she got caught it would be her head, she swerved through the throngs of students, heading towards the exit.

Sunlight hit her face as she broke through the door, slamming it behind her. She had made it out of the museum just fine, but she wasn't home free yet! Darting quickly across the street, Kagome headed towards the park. It was a common shortcut that she took when walking home from school, as did many other students, but it was empty now. Everyone that usually occupied it was either at school or work. Kagome was jogging now, feeling safe that no one was following her; she would begin running again when she neared her home. Suddenly she felt a pulse. At first she thought it was her imagination, but then she felt it again, stronger. She slowed down, confused at what was happening, as the pulses came stronger and more frequently. When the pulses became like a trembling that shook her hand, she stopped completely, holding the Tetsusaiga out at arm's length, terrified at what was happening.

Unexpectedly, she felt the ground give way. Horrified, she looked around her for something to grab on to, to keep from falling to wherever she was falling, but she found nothing. She screamed in terror hoping somehow that would stop what was happening but she kept falling, falling into blackness. Her world disappeared and her eyes saw nothing but darkness. For a second she thought she was blind but then she saw a faint blue hue of light down below her. The gut-wrenching feeling of falling had left her as she stared at the light. As it got closer, with a sick feeling she recognized it. It was the same blue light she traveled through every time she had gone through the well. She just hoped this time warp still took her to the feudal era, not some alternate future that had aliens with poison gas.

As suddenly, as the ground had given way, she burst out of the darkness into a clear blue sky. She thought maybe she was floating until the clouds cleared and she saw the ground rushing at her at an amazing rate. Screaming, she thought about what to do. She didn't want to die! She was too young! There had to be something she could do to stop her fall. The ground was rapidly coming into focus. With a last minute decision, she closed her eyes and did the only thing that came to mind. She began to concentrate. She concentrated with all her heart and soul, willing herself to cease her rapid descent. And slowly it did. At first, she felt a tug near her abdomen, then a pinkish light surrounded her body and she was in control.

Kagome landed with a thump on the ground amidst trees, shaking from head to toe. She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. She groaned despite herself, as she lay sprawled on the grass, the Tetsusaiga beside her. Kagome sat up and surveyed her surroundings. The area she was in did not look familiar to her at all. Fields and forests surrounded her, and even in the daytime, she could feel a dark foreboding about it. Abruptly she got up as she heard a scream in the distance. She took off towards the scream with renewed energy, taking the untransformed Tetsusaiga with her.

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Well there's chapter one! Tell me if you like it, _please_!!!!! Lol…

I'm going to start recommending other fanfics that I absolutely love and my first one is going to be the very person I got this recommendation idea from:

Unexpected Allies Part I: How To Train A Taiyoukai by Striking Falcon

This is a great (and hilarious!) Kagome/Sesshoumaru fic! On Kagome's way back from her time she is kidnapped by Sesshoumaru who claims he needs her help with something. Want to know what it is? You must read to find out! There is also a Part II and a Part III, which I haven't read yet. But trust me! It's very good!

Well anyways that's all for now and I'll see you guys again when I update!

Luckyducky


	2. Haven't We Met?

Hey everyone! I'm glad this new story is getting as much appreciation as my other two! Thanks to everyone!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha…I only own Yuki

**Review Replies:**

Guest – Thanks!

Roses Petal – I usually try to update once a week but because of school I get off sometimes…

Alexis Barnes – Okey Dokey!

Shan – Ok!

Little Rascal – Thanks! LoL I'm sure you've thought of something good! I hope I keep you coming back for more!

Wolf Jade – Yeah, Kagome kind of knows she's a hanyou but she doesn't want to believe it. Thanks so much!

Lyn – All right!

Vulcana – Thanks, I hope you come back to keep reading!

Mysticalflame – Yeah she's the hanyou in the legend, but she can't imagine how that would be right so the thought never really crosses her mind (Duh Kagome!) It wasn't really a portal, per say. It was just the Tetsusaiga responding to her touch (since she was the one who originally pulled it out in the tomb…) and so the Tetsusaiga itself went back in time, pulling Kagome with it. Hope that answers some questions!

Angel of Nightmare's-13 – Thank you so much!

I-wish-I-was-Kagome – Thanks! I usually update once a week (school gets in the way sometimes but I try really hard to meet my deadlines!)

Really Awesome **- **I'm so glad you came to read this fic too! You're such a devoted reviewer!

**Now on to the story!!**

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**Discovering Love **

**Recap:**

_Unexpectedly, she felt the ground give way. Horrified, she looked around her for something to grab on to, to keep from falling to wherever she was falling, but she found nothing. She screamed in terror hoping somehow that would stop what was happening but she kept falling, falling into blackness. Her world disappeared and her eyes saw nothing but darkness. For a second she thought she was blind but then she saw a faint blue hue of light down below her. The gut-wrenching feeling of falling had left her as she stared at the light. As it got closer, with a sick feeling she recognized it. It was the same blue light she traveled through every time she had gone through the well. She just hoped this time warp still took her to the feudal era, not some alternate future that had aliens with poison gas._

_As suddenly, as the ground had given way, she burst out of the darkness into a clear blue sky. She thought maybe she was floating until the clouds cleared and she saw the ground rushing at her at an amazing rate. Screaming, she thought about what to do. She didn't want to die! She was too young! There had to be something she could do to stop her fall. The ground was rapidly coming into focus. With a last minute decision, she closed her eyes and did the only thing that came to mind. She began to concentrate. She concentrated with all her heart and soul, willing herself to cease her rapid descent. And slowly it did. At first, she felt a tug near her abdomen, then a pinkish light surrounded her body and she was in control. _

_Kagome landed with a thump on the ground amidst trees, shaking from head to toe. She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. She groaned despite herself, as she lay sprawled on the grass, the Tetsusaiga beside her. Kagome sat up and surveyed her surroundings. The area she was in did not look familiar to her at all. Fields and forests surrounded her, and even in the daytime, she could feel a dark foreboding about it. Abruptly she got up as she heard a scream in the distance. She took off towards the scream with renewed energy, taking the untransformed Tetsusaiga with her._

**Chapter 2 – Haven't We Met?**

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Kagome ran through the undergrowth as brush scratched her face. A brief image of Inuyasha and Kikyou flashed through her mind as she experienced a short-lived moment of déjà vu. She quickly pushed the thought out of her head. This was not the time to be getting all sappy. Besides, Inuyasha wasn't even here anymore – he was in hell with that clay pot, Kikyou.

As she heard the shriek once again, she found a new reserve of energy and sped up slightly, worried that she wouldn't make it to the distressed child in time to prevent whatever was happening to him or her. Nearing the cry, she felt the ground begin to tremble as if a giant was walking nearby. She had never seen an actual _giant_ but she had seen some pretty big demons when she had traveled with Inuyasha.

"There it is again…" Kagome panted between breaths. "What _is _that?" she wondered aloud as the ground shook again. "What could make the ground shake like that."

And then her thoughts were answered.

As she forced her way out of the clearing, the sight that greeted her eyes was nothing like she expected. Right in front of her stood, the most enormous dog youkai she had ever seen! It walked around the burning village in front of her, heedless of the human beings it was stepping on and the houses it was breaking. It seemed as if it was looking for something…

"Wait a minute!" Kagome whispered to herself. Those ears, that almost fully grown back leg, those blue stripes on the legs and face, that crescent shaped figure on its forehead. That could only be… "Sesshoumaru!"

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Sesshoumaru stomped around the village, caring not for all the humans that scattered before his magnificent youkai form. He was on a mission and nothing would deter him from it. It was back…the Tetsusaiga!

When word of his brothers demise and dissension into hell with that thing Kikyou, he had hurriedly began to search for the famed Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha had not taken it to hell with him, yet he could find it nowhere. He had searched and searched for almost six months, but had never had the luck to find it. Obviously, misfortune followed him. Tenseiga urged him ever onward to search, but he had eventually lost hope and given up, ignoring Tenseiga's insistence.

Not an hour ago, about the time Kagome saw the Tetsusaiga in the museum, he felt the Tenseiga's urge once again. Only this time it was different. It knew that its sister was coming back…back to the time it belonged. Instantly he had transformed and headed out, ordering Jaken to watch over Rin, his ward, in his absence. Of course, Rin had pleaded for him to take her with him wherever he was going and when she began crying he agreed. He just couldn't stand her tears… He had hid them deep within the forest in a hidden meadow where Rin could happily pick flowers until his return.

After his ordeal with Rin, his nose had led him here. Here to this village. What would the Tetsusaiga be doing here? This village was nasty and overrun with disease. Why would the mighty Tetsusaiga be doing here? But he continued to search, believing that fate would reveal itself to him and finally grace him with a bit of luck. Luck he certainly felt he deserved after putting up with that ignorant hanyou brother of his for so long.

He glanced around his feet again, trying to ignore the screams and cries of the helpless beneath his feet. It was here! He just knew it! Like some kind of sixth sense that animals have, it pulsed through him.

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'What the hell is he doing?' Kagome thought in a rage. Sure she knew Sesshoumaru was known for being heartless but she had never heard of him just going off in a rampage and killing innocent people for the fun of it. Kagome was raging mad! She would teach him a lesson.

At this point, she was so mad she did not feel the Tetsusaiga pulsing in her hands. Her attention was focused on the monstrous youkai dog in front of her. She watched as Sesshoumaru paused to turn his head quickly and look her way. Unconsciously, she moved Tetsusaiga in front of her, hoping it would protect her like it did when Inuyasha and she first found it, and was surprised when her eyes met the transformed fang.

Her first thought was 'How can I hold it? I thought it was heavier than this…' but was instantly replaced with a new one when the strangeness of the situation hit her. 'How is this possible? I thought only the Tetsusaiga's true master could wield the Tetsusaiga…'

But now was not the time to worry about little things like that. The only thing that mattered was that the Tetsusaiga had transformed, hopefully to protect her since she had no idea what she was doing. She braced herself and prayed that she would not be too seriously hurt. Hopefully fate was on her side…

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At the sight of the magnificent Tetsusaiga in the hands of that human, Sesshoumaru had turned around completely. After all those months of searching, it was back! The Tetsusaiga was once again in his reach! And this time it would not escape. But wait… why had the Tetsusaiga transformed? Did it not recognize its _true_ master? He would have to show this mortal girl that her trying to use the Tetsusaiga was futile. He was stronger, faster, and much wiser than she.

'There's no way she can win.'

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Kagome felt shudders run through her body uncontrollably. She knew she was afraid and was positive Sesshoumaru could also sense her fear. She didn't have a snowball's chance in hell at beating him, but damn it she would die trying! She had to get the Tetsusaiga to its true master, and she would face whatever stood in her way.

Since the confrontation with Inuyasha when he had attempted to rape her in his bloodlust, she had had some knowledge of an unknown – disease - in her blood. She had tried in vain to quench it, hoping it would disappear – hoping it wasn't demon blood. But alas, when she had arrived here in the feudal era, she had felt different. Released – if you will.

'I guess now's good a time as any to test this new blood,' she thought to herself, nervous at what she knew she had to face.

As Sesshoumaru began walking towards her, taking steps at least a hundred yards long, Kagome braced herself with one leg behind her and one in front. She bent her front leg slightly and held the Tetsusaiga, still transformed, in front of her body threateningly. She felt the ground shake as a hauntingly hollow laugh echoed from within the giant chest. She felt her blood run cold. He was laughing at her - laughing at her attempt to keep him away from the Tetsusaiga! Even though he had his own perfectly decent sword, he just would not give up! Just like a man…

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Sesshoumaru picked up his pace, rapidly covering the distance to the other side of the village where the human stood, bravely standing against him. This human girl would die for her bravery of attempting to stand up to the Demon Lord of the West! He was closing the gap! Soon she would be either trampled underfoot or melted with his poison saliva.

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Kagome was ready! Adrenaline pumped through her as she readied herself. She did not have a chance facing him head on so she would have to outwit him. She knew in his demon form he was not very fast, so she would have to be faster! Right when Sesshoumaru was above her, she began to run between his legs towards the opening on the other end. Because of her new blood, she was much quicker than a mere mortal, which she greatly thanked. It just might save her life.

She felt the great dog slide to a stop, his rear end lowering until it almost touched the ground. He had unknowingly blocked her exit! Damn dog! She never had liked dogs that much… Using her keen senses she found another way out from under him before he crushed her. There! To the right! She didn't have much time – she would have to go for it now! She began to try and turn as sharply as she could manage. Her feet churned the dirt below with desperation, and then she was out. A soft breeze cooled her face, giving her chills.

She noticed Sesshoumaru turning his head this way and that, trying to find out where she had disappeared. Knowing if he found her, he would most likely kill her right away, she did the only thing she thought of. She jumped. Her heart began pounding as she went much higher than she wanted to. So, this was what Inuyasha felt every time he leaped up to attack an enemy… It was amazing how easy it was to overestimate her new demon powers! She would just have to get used to it.

Kagome snapped herself back to the situation at hand, as she began her descent. As she fell, she tried to position herself right over his back, hoping she could somehow manage to injure him severely. However, she misjudged slightly and landed a little to the left on his back. Instantly, Sesshoumaru felt the pressure of the girl and reared back, throwing Kagome off balance. Cursing her luck in every language she knew, she fell of his back. In a desperate attempt to stop her fall, as is instinct for everyone, she used the Tetsusaiga and jammed it into the giant dog's side. She heard Sesshoumaru's deep growl as blood began pouring out of the wound she had unintentionally made.

"Oh shit!" she said in panic. Her hands had begun to slide, wet with sticky, warm blood, because of Sesshoumaru's jerky motions. She tried to judge the circumstances as best she could, to decide when the best time to let go would be, but after a while, she gave up. It was hopeless trying to figure out the best time to let go when one was being jerked around be a livid demon lord. With one last prayer towards heaven and whatever gods were up there, she let go and flew above the trees towards the sky.

Kagome wanted so badly to close her eyes to keep from seeing the rushing ground and the giant demon, but knew if she did, she might just fall right into Sesshoumaru's waiting mouth. She could not be eaten! She had dealt a serious wound, at least by her standards, and would not give up now. She was just starting to get some confidence that maybe she could win.

Kagome sensed Sesshoumaru's motions a fraction too late. He had located her position during her flight towards the sky and had instantly whisked his tail up to swat at her. She saw the glint of white out of the corner of her eye but was too slow to prevent it. The impact knocked the air out of her lungs and forced her towards the ground at an alarmingly fast rate. Kagome tried to turn in midair to avoid landing on her back but her new descent rate was too quick.

She landed on her back and whatever air was left in her lungs was forced out, and immediately felt a sharp pain in her side where something had pierced her flesh. At the impact with Sesshoumaru, the Tetsusaiga had been flung from her hands, and she now felt panic at the fact she had no idea where it was. What if Sesshoumaru had it?! Then she heard a cling of metal on rocks and debris. Turning sharply she saw it rocking like a seesaw over two large rocks.

She knew Sesshoumaru was behind her as a shadow fell over her all the way to the Tetsusaiga some two hundred feet in front of her. She was off in a flash, ignoring the searing pain in her side. It all rested on this! If she didn't get to the Tetsusaiga in time, she was a goner for sure! Adrenaline spurred her on, replacing the slower human blood. She raced forward with the demon lord at her back. It was right in front of her! She dove for the Tetsusaiga as she got within range, closing her eyes against the dirt that would blind her. Groping frantically, she felt the warm hilt of the fang and sighed gratefully. More pain shot through her frail body as Sesshoumaru's giant paw stomped on her leg, breaking the femur.

Tears welled in Kagome's eyes at the hopelessness of the situation, but through all the pain and despair, her pride refused to let her give up. Willing her arms to respond, she slashed the air with the Tetsusaiga hoping to stave off Sesshoumaru. Then the shadow passed from in front of her closed eyes to become bright and the pressure on her leg receded. Kagome peeped open one of her eyes, almost too scared to look, but her eyes shot open when she saw nothing! The great demon dog that had stood in front of her was gone and in its place stood the human-looking Sesshoumaru, she was accustomed to seeing.

'No!' she screamed at herself as blackness began to spread across her vision. She could not pass out! Not now! Not after, she'd come so far in a futile battle with the Demon Lord of the West! Not…now…'

But the pain that was spreading throughout her body and the fatigue was overtaking her senses. She couldn't think about anything but sleep, that's all she wanted to do. The last thing she saw before she passed out was a two-headed dragon being led by a little toad creature.

And there was a little girl. The same one she had seen the time Inuyasha had tried to rape her. Once again the thought spread through her mind: Why would Sesshoumaru have a little human girl with him?

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Well that's it for chapter two! So, what's Sesshoumaru going to do to Kagome? You'll have to come back for chapter three!

Please Read and Review!!!

Luckyducky


	3. AN!

Hey everyone! Sorry but this isn't an update. I've been having some problems with Microsoft Word. It's not letting me open any of my saved files so therefore I can't work on them. I don't know how long it's going to take for us to get this fixed but as soon as it is repaired, I promise I'll update!

Once again, sorry for the inconvenience!

Luckyducky


	4. The Morning After

Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait on this chapter! I hate it when I get computer problems especially when I'm supposed to be writing for you guys! But now my computer's fixed and it hopefully won't break anytime soon…hopefully! Well I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

**Disclaimer: **This thing gets kind of annoying. I have to do it on every story for every chapter! But oh well, I can't change it. I don't own Inuyasha. Happy now?

**Review Replies:**

Wolf Jade – Thanks! Well, then again it is Sesshoumaru we're talking about…LoL! Sorry it took so long to update.

JoWashington – Thanks! I'm not really basing this off of any episode in particular. They haven't defeated Naraku yet…you noticed I said yet. It's been roughly six months since Kagome left. Yes, I plan to put Sango and the rest of them into here eventually. Wow, that was a long review! But that's a good thing because I love detailed reviews!

Little Rascal – LoL sorry about that. Sorry that this update wasn't sooner…heh heh.

Lyn – Okey dokey!

Sesshomaru13 – LoL! Yeah. Broken legs suck too; trust me I know. I will! Chill out! LoL!

Shan – Okey dokey!

I-wish-I-was-Kagome – Well it hasn't been ASAP, but I have gotten it updated! Sorry for the wait!

Liliedhe – Okay, well sorry for the mix-up; I hadn't heard of that. And thanks for telling me that because I wouldn't have known otherwise. Like I've told other people – I know I'm not the best writer ever and that was one of the first fighting scenes I've written. I usually don't write many so maybe by the next one I'll be better at it. Thanks for the constructive criticism!

TheWildWind – Okay, thanks for reviewing!

Alexis Barnes – All right!

Blue-Saiyan-Angel – neat name! Yeah, it's kind of funny in parts.

Mysticalflame :D Well I'm sure some good reason will come up…LoL Well that's good that you're not in a bad mood! LoL later!

Don't have an account – Thanks! I usually don't write battle scenes so I enjoy people telling me I did well at them!

Phalon22 – Thanks so much!

PrEtTyStUpIdGiRl – LoL you have to wait to find out!

SweetKagome89 – Yeah, I hate it when I get computer problems. It just puts a kink in all my plans!

Lyn – Me too…

Really Awesome – Yeah, me too! I feel so lost when I can't write…

White Tiger Princess – Thanks!

Sesshomaru13 – Well at least I'm not alone in the world on that perspective…

**Now on to the story!**

**Finally!**

**

* * *

**

**Discovering Love**

_**Recap:**_

_Tears welled in Kagome's eyes at the hopeless of the situation, but through all the pain and despair, her pride refused to let her give up. Willing her arms to respond, she slashed the air with the Tetsusaiga hoping to stave off Sesshoumaru. Then the shadow passed from in front of her closed eyes to become bright and the pressure on her leg receded. Kagome peeped open one of her eyes, almost too scared to look, but her eyes shot open when she saw nothing! The great demon dog that had stood in front of her was gone and in its place stood the human-looking Sesshoumaru, she was accustomed to seeing. _

'_No!' she screamed at herself as blackness began to spread across her vision. She could not pass out! Not now! Not after, she'd come so far in a futile battle with the Demon Lord of the West! Not…now…'_

_But the pain that was spreading throughout her body and the fatigue was overtaking her senses. She couldn't think about anything but sleep, that's all she wanted to do. The last thing she saw before she passed out was a two-headed dragon being led by a little toad creature. _

_And there was a little girl._

_A human girl._

_Why would Sesshoumaru have a human girl?_

**Chapter 3 – The Morning After**

**

* * *

**

Kagome's eyes fluttered as the darkness of her dreams began to fade, giving way to the light of day. Unfortunately, there was no smell of sweet sakura blossoms; the only smell was the rancid stench of dried blood and sweat as it filled her nose, making her cringe in disgust. Almost automatically, her hand gripped and dug through the dirt trying to find the Tetsusaiga. The desperation she felt almost startling her. Eventually her hand felt the now familiar warmth of Tetsusaiga's hilt and she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

Kagome lay there a while more, struggling to recall why she smelt of blood and sweat. And then it hit her with full force. Memories of the battle flashed against her closed eyes like a slideshow; one picture after another. She moved slightly, hoping she wasn't dead, but immediately lay still once more. The pain that had surged through her body at her movements left her gasping in unbearable pain. But knowing who was after the Tetsusaiga and her, she forced herself up, ordering her eyes to open. The sight that greeted her eyes was not what she expected.

She lay near the edge of the clearing, which was devoid of even grass and completely surrounded by tall, sturdy trees and dense shrubs. In the center of the opening was a small, smoldering fire and a pot containing god knows what – it smelled horrible. She was the only one that inhabited the clearing, at least for the time being, and was glad for it. She didn't want that cold prince, Sesshoumaru, seeing her like this.

Kagome's thoughts hit a stand hold as her ears derived a spectacular sound – a _magnificent_ sound! A hot spring! Pushing through the pain that flooded her body, Kagome straightened up with the help of the tree that was closest to her. When she was sure she had her balance, she stepped warily away from the tree in the direction of the hot spring, taking the Tetsusaiga with her. She walked for what seemed like forever, and for all she knew probably was, due to the tiny, unsteady steps she was forced to take to keep her balance and not further injure her still hurt leg. Her new demon blood had luckily healed most of the break throughout the night but it was still not back to perfect condition. During her trek, she kept a vigil ear on the surrounding vegetation for any sign of an approaching demon. Fortunately for her, however, there was no such bad luck for her today.

Kagome breathed happily upon reaching the hot spring. She would soon be rid of the wretched stench that clung to her body like a lover. She looked thoroughly around the area before finally dropping her clothes with a contended sigh into the pre-warm water. Kagome eased down to the ground and sat before sliding into the steaming water.

Oh! It was heaven! She couldn't remember a hot spring ever feeling this good! She felt her muscles relax, the knots pulling out of them, and all her aches disappeared. Stretching out across the surface of the water, she swam the length of the spring, which wasn't very much. Once she reached the other side, she dipped her head back into the water, wetting her hair. Since she had been thrown into the feudal era unexpectedly, she did not have any shampoo or body wash, and was therefore forced to just scrub her body and hair with her hands.

She was so caught up in her relaxation and contentment she did not notice the demon watching from amidst the trees.

* * *

The great and mighty Sesshoumaru, demon lord of the western lands, sat perched in a tree, staring out of the foliage to watch the miko bathe like some ordinary human. Yes, he was somewhat ashamed of his actions at the present, but if no one saw him up here spying, no one would ever know. He was all clear!

After the miko had fainted on him in the village, he had carried her to their makeshift campsite – only because of Rin's incessant pleading of course. Once he had comforted and assured Rin that the "pretty lady" would be just fine, he had ordered Rin and Jaken back to the castle, leaving him with the miko. He had not been gone fifteen minutes before he smelled blood on the move – that miko's blood! Eager to find out if she was actually trying to run away at that incredibly slow rate, he followed her from a distance; she was presently too weak to sense him. Upon reaching her destination, the hot springs, the miko had stopped and that's when he had jumped up into the tree so to relax against the trunk and observe her antics.

She had at first rid herself of her clothes, giving anyone who wanted to look at her body the perfect opportunity – but certainly not him; he would never want to look upon her horrid human body! After she had lowered herself into the spring and swam the length of it, Sesshoumaru began to relax against the tree. She was a human, yes, but also a woman, and he knew that women take their sweet time in bathing.

The sun was shining warmly on his face while the wind blew softly, keeping him from getting too hot. Presently he began to feel himself dozing off but jerked awake as he realized it, almost falling out of the tree in the process. Remembering why he was sitting in the tree in the first place, he turned his attention back to the bathing miko. She had been in there unmoving for the past hour – maybe she was dead. One could only hope…

Slowly but surely, the miko began to move, dragging herself from the warmth she had become accustomed to. Now was the time to make him move.

* * *

Reluctantly, Kagome began to pull herself from the comforting water. She stepped out and shivered as the cool breeze hit her naked body. Suddenly she heard something. She turned sharply to look behind her on the other shore. No, there was nothing there. She relaxed again and began to turn back around when she saw what she'd heard. There in front of her stood Sesshoumaru, the demon lord and Inuyasha's older half brother.

Acting purely on instinct, Kagome attempted to cover herself as best she could without her clothes. Realizing that Sesshoumaru had not looked away from her as a gentleman would, she screeched, "PERVERT!" and slapped him away with a free hand. Without a doubt, Kagome was shocked at what she'd done on accident. Sesshoumaru was surely going to kill her now! But instead, he just looked at her in annoyance, mumbled some incoherent words, and turned around, giving her privacy. Somewhat grateful, Kagome took advantage of the situation, bending down quickly to retrieve her clothes. She slipped into them in record time right before Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder to check on her progress.

Pulling the shirt over her remaining arm she said, "I'm finished now. You can look," and was enraged at his next comment.

"If I had wanted to look I would have done so. I do not obey your commands. Rather, it should be the other way around, seeing as you are at my mercy. Besides, I would not want to look upon your disgusting human body anyway." He sniffed in disgust and turned his head to the side, refusing to look at her, even though she was fully dressed.

Kagome stood there and felt her blood pressure rise rapidly in her anger. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides and her arms were bone straight. How dare he! How dare he say she was ugly! Sure, she knew she wasn't the prettiest girl ever, but she wasn't _ugly_! She huffed furiously and turned her back to him, crossing her arms. She couldn't even stand to look at him, the jerk!

* * *

Sesshoumaru looked at Kagome unexpectedly when she turned around. Did she not know that it is unwise to turn your back on a demon lord that wants you dead? She must be more ignorant than I originally thought…

* * *

Surprising even herself, Kagome suddenly turned around again, stuck her finger in Sesshoumaru's face, and began to speak. "You know what you jerk. You think you're all high and mighty because you're a demon lord. But you know what? You only twice beat Inuyasha – a half demon – in a battle! That's pretty pathetic don't you think? You, a full demon, being sent running by a half demon." Too late Kagome realized she had gone too far…

Having heard enough, Sesshoumaru grabbed Kagome's neck and lifted her off the ground. "I could kill you right now. Do you realize that miko? If you are not so ignorant as to overlook that, maybe you should prevent urging me on to do so sooner than I planned."

Kagome gulped and pried at his hands, struggling to get free. She couldn't breathe! Her chest heaved but nothing came in! Her vision began to go black and then…she was laying on the ground gasping for breath. He had let her go right before she had lost consciousness. Thank the gods!

* * *

Sesshoumaru was, to say the least, amazed by the miko. He had held her existence in his hands and she had not begged or pleaded for her life to be spared. She had only hung there in his hand, scratching at it, but not making a sound. Honor? Can humans truly possess it?

He stared fully at the miko that lay on the ground at his feet, attempting to catch her lost breath. She was no longer a skinny girl as she had been when she had traveled with his bastard brother. She had grown in many places; she was more curvaceous. Surely, his brother would not have passed her up if he knew she would turn out like this.

'My brother was more a fool than I thought,' he considered wonderingly as he looked the miko up and down her body.

Maybe he should keep this girl around for a while.

No, not girl.

Woman.

* * *

Sorry guys! I know this chapter was a little shorter than expected but I figured that was a nice way to end it for now.

Please Read and Review!

Luckyducky


	5. Damn Miko

Okay…here we go! I'm so sorry for keeping you guys waiting all this time! There's no excuse good enough so I wont even bother saying it…but please forgive me! Instead, I've made an extra long chapter just to say I'm sorry so please enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **This thing can get so tiring to say every time…but seeing as there's a bunch of lawyers congregating outside my house, I'll say it once more! I don't own Inuyasha!

**Review Replies:**

Phalon22, PrEtTyStUpIdGiRl, TheWildWind, Wolf Jade, Kavfh, Lady-Crimsyn, Sesshoumaru779, SweetKagome89, Videl621, Nymph Demon, Sesshomaru13, JenLen21, and Victoria – Thanks for all of your reviews! I love them dearly! I would give you all cookies if I could, but sadly I cannot so another chapter will have to suffice…

It has been requested multiple times that my chapters be longer. I am willing to work on that for every chapter, not just this one, but my update's will be less often seeing as I've got school to worry about too. But I'll try my hardest to make them longer if everyone can deal with not getting updates every week!

**Now on to the story!**

* * *

****

**Discovering Love **

_**Recap:**_

_Having heard enough, Sesshoumaru grabbed Kagome's neck and lifted her off the ground. "I could kill you right now. Do you realize that miko? If you are not so ignorant as to overlook that, maybe you should prevent urging me on to do so sooner than I planned."_

_Kagome gulped and pried at his hands, struggling to get free. She couldn't breathe! Her chest heaved but nothing came in! Her vision began to go black and then…she was laying on the ground gasping for breath. He had let her go right before she had lost consciousness. Thank the gods!_

_-----------_

_Sesshoumaru was, to say the least, amazed by the miko. He had held her existence in his hands and she had not begged or pleaded for her life to be spared. She had only hung there in his hand, scratching at it, but not making a sound. Honor? Can humans truly possess it? _

_He stared fully at the miko that lay on the ground at his feet, attempting to catch her lost breath. She was no longer a skinny girl as she had been when she had traveled with his bastard brother. She had grown in many places; she was more curvaceous. Surely, his brother would not have passed her up if he knew she would turn out like this. _

'_My brother was more a fool than I thought,' he considered wonderingly as he looked the miko up and down her body. _

_Maybe he should keep this girl around for a while. _

_No, not girl. _

_Woman._

**Chapter 4 – Damn Miko…**

**-------------------------------------------**

Thoughts whirred through Kagome's head faster than she could keep up with them as she stared at the retreating demon lord. He had spared her life for now at least, and she knew she should be grateful. He could have killed her in an instant but he had held off. Why?

Her thoughts paused their whirring for a minute as he spoke. "Miko, you will accompany me back to my lands. Now get up and get dressed so we can be on our way." It was not a request but a command.

Her anger flared throughout her frail body. The pain in her throat and lungs disappeared as a more primal instinct took over. He was stronger than her, smarter than her, and faster than her but he did not have the right to order her around like some common slave! As the anger surged through her being, she stood up, her vision going black around the edges at the quickness, and glared at the backside of the demon lord.

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Sensing the sudden change in her scent, Sesshoumaru turned around to face the furious miko. He could not understand her anger. Why would she be angry with him? He had just generously spared her life when he could have simply spilled her life's blood. Humans were such strange creatures – but then again, she wasn't exactly human; he could smell the demon blood in her and knew she was a half-breed - exactly like his bastard brother. She was a disgrace to demon-kind and human-kind. She belonged nowhere.

His attention was brought back sharply to the present time and place as Kagome stormed up to stand right in front of him. He was distinctly aware of the heat radiating off her form and the fury demonstrated in her posture. He gazed down at Kagome with a calm, almost bored, look that infuriated her to no end. Could he show no emotion whatsoever?

Her hands clenched at her sides in anger. His entire presence that plainly said 'I am better than you' was almost more than she could stand. But then a memory surfaced and sadness flickered through Kagome's heart as she continued to glare into Sesshoumaru's eyes. Those eyes…they reminded her so much of Inuyasha. They had the same flecks of amber drifting in a sea of molten gold. The resemblance was uncanny, and Kagome could not help looking away.

Sesshoumaru was, by now, completely baffled by this human's strange behaviors and ever-changing scent. He was, to an extent, becoming dizzy as her moods changed – embarrassed, frightened, stubborn, relieved, curious, angry, sad, lonely. Who knew what would come next! He continued to watch Kagome's face, even though she had attempted to hide it from his view. Disgust for her own weakness at breaking down in front of him showed plainly on her face.

Sesshoumaru pushed away the slight twinge he felt at her sadness. Rin must be affecting him more than he thought. He could not be feeling affection for these humans. It was just unacceptable for someone of his high position. Before anything else unexpected could occur, he turned quickly so he could not see her face and the unshed tears in her cerulean blue eyes.

---------------

Kagome lifted her red-rimmed eyes from the ground to the back of the demon lord who was acting so strangely. He was behaving very odd around her – normally he would have killed her on sight knowing she used to travel with Inuyasha, but he hadn't. Could it be that girl that traveled with him? The cold, stoic, and unfeeling Lord Sesshoumaru couldn't possibly have feelings, could he?

"Now that you are finished with your self-pitying," Sesshoumaru snapped out a little more harshly than he had intended it to be, "we can be on our way." Sesshoumaru scolded himself mentally for being so harsh to the emotionally injured miko but then scolded himself for actually caring. He wanted to groan in frustration! Nothing made sense anymore!

'_Stupid humans_,' he thought bitterly. '_They bring out the worst in everyone_!'

Kagome could not help but wince at the sharpness in his voice as he spoke to her, but she thanked the gods his back was turned so he couldn't see her Achilles' heel. She had always prided herself on being a strong-willed person who refused to show actual emotions. After Inuyasha, she had built a wall around her heart and vowed to never let it out again, and now was certainly not a time to quit that promise.

Kagome lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders a bit, as she felt her self-confidence raise a few notches. She would not give in to this arrogant dog demon. Turning around, intent on collecting her things to leave Sesshoumaru behind, she accidentally stumbled as her injured leg gave out.

In the few seconds it took for her to fall, Kagome expected Sesshoumaru to catch her like any normal gentleman would, and was appalled when she came in contact with the hard ground. As she attempted to catch her breath once again, she glared up at the demon lord who simply gazed back at her with one eyebrow raised. Inside he was smiling at her obvious outrage at his behavior. She apparently was used to other behavior from men. She would just have to realize that he was not a man – he was a demon.

However, falling to the ground was Kagome's reality check. There was no way she would be able to defend herself in her present condition. She sighed in defeat and utter frustration. Her only option was to go with Sesshoumaru to his castle. Her optimism instantly began to shine through, trying to brighten her miserably bleak day, with the thought that the young girl was most likely there. Yes, that was a good thought. Maybe, if the girl was being abused by the demons, she could rescue her and help her to escape! If Kagome had been the insidious type she would have rubbed her hands together and laughed evilly at her new plan, but seeing as she was a caring person she just finished packing her things and bravely stood up, balancing herself mainly on her uninjured leg.

Willing herself to keep her balance, she strode forward until she stood at Sesshoumaru's side. Kagome put on a brave front of not being afraid of him and said, "Well, are we going or not?" Inside she wanted nothing more than to go home and just get on with her normal life as she had been doing since Inuyasha, but that was no longer an option for her. She was going to have to accompany Sesshoumaru if she wanted to live.

Sesshoumaru grinned inside at her curious behavior that was almost impressive. "Finally," he said. "The journey to my lands will not take very long and I will provide transportation, but before that can commence we must find Jaken. He should be around here somewhere." He set off towards the northwest, intent on seeking out Jaken.

And with that, a new part of Kagome's life had begun - one that did not involve Shikon Shards and kitsune pups. No lecherous monks or infuriatingly stubborn half dogs on this journey. No demon slayers either. It was strange to be in the company of one who always used to want Inuyasha and their group dead – very strange indeed.

* * *

"Miroku come here!" a certain brown-eyed beauty that just happened to be named Sango called to the monk who stood on the other side of the clearing.

Ever since Inuyasha chose Kikyou and Kagome went back to her own time, Miroku, Shippou and herself could do nothing but continue their search for the jewel shards that still remained. Kagome had unintentionally helped them by leaving their part of the Shikon Jewel in the hut the day she left, so they had not had to reach her to retrieve her part. But that did not make their search much easier. They had had numerable short-lived battles with Naraku that had left some of them injured, and many battles with strong demons containing pieces of the jewel. As the number of jewel shards dwindled and the final battle with Naraku drew closer, the demons they were forced to fight became stronger and stronger with every confrontation.

Sango turned her gaze from what lay at her feet to Miroku and Shippou, now no longer a pup, who raced her way. As they approached her, Shippou could not help but make a sound of glee. They had had word of a giant demon abusing this village and a strange miko with a humungous sword defending them. The first thing that had popped into all of their minds had been: Kagome. And here at their feet lay the proof that, indeed, Kagome was back in the feudal era. A scrap of her clothing lay on the ground in a big rut. It had been torn off when Kagome had dove for the Tetsusaiga.

Miroku looked hopefully at Sango, "Do you think it could be her? Do you really think she would have came back?" His hands no longer strayed towards Sango's form, seeing as there was no point in it. As they were forced to become more trusting in each other in Inuyasha and Kagome's absence, they had become closer in many ways. They had begun to court and it had finally resulted in marriage. However, although they had wanted to, they had not adopted Shippou. His claimed mother had been Kagome and he would have no other.

Sango returned his gaze as Shippou squirmed in the background, "I certainly hope so. It really looks like her clothes, but why would she have come back?"

All Miroku could do was shrug towards her for he had no idea either. Turning the conversation towards a different part of what lay before them he said, "What kind of demon do you think was here? It had to be a huge one to cause these kinds of ruts, but it didn't kill her and it's not here dead. I'm so confused." He put his head into his hands in exasperation. Their life had become a constant maze of hide and go seek – and now was no exception. They had found out that Kagome was back, but had no idea where she was!

Shippou cried out and pointed at the ground heading north, causing everyone to turn so fast they almost got whiplash. There along the ground was a set of tracks just Kagome's size. The trio exchanged a joyful look and they all set out, intent on tracking Kagome down and being reunited.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she practically climbed up the millionth steep hill they had encountered during their trek to Sesshoumaru's castle. Her arms were beginning to ache as she grabbed onto a tree root and pulled herself upwards. Sesshoumaru had told her he was going to provide transportation but that they had to travel a short way to meet someone first. Kagome wiped off the sweat that was beading up on her forehead.

'_A short way… Yeah right! More like a mountain climbing trek…' _Kagome knew that they only reason she was still able to continue walking was due to the demon blood flowing through her veins, and privately she thanked it, no matter how much she didn't like it. She hadn't wanted to break down and resort to Sesshoumaru carrying her or something like that… She laughed at herself. _'Like he would! The jerk…'_

Wondering how far she had yet to go to get up the hill, she glanced up only to groan and grumble under her breath. She wasn't even halfway up, and already Sesshoumaru was standing at the top impatiently looking down at her. She rolled her eyes as she returned to her task. If he was going to be rude and not help her up then she would take her sweet time getting up there. In fact, she was so caught up in her thoughts of taking her time and grumbling about what a jerk Sesshoumaru was, that she wasn't even paying attention to what she was grabbing for support. A sharp hissing brought her back to reality as she looked at what she had grabbed on to – a snake! With a shreik, she released the snake and stumbled backwards, destroying her sense of balance. In the midst of a fleeting thought of 'Oh great', she fell over backwards and rolled down the small portion of the hill she had succeeded in climbing. She winced as she came to a halt by means of a rather large rock covered with moss and began grumbling again as some of that moss fell onto her head.

"This is just the greatest day of my life…just freaking great… I'm stuck with the most self-centered demon ever imaginable and now I've gone and hurt myself again! Peachy…just peachy…"

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Sesshoumaru watched in something close to amusement as the girl grabbed the snake, screamed, and fell back down the hill. He even managed to smirk as the moss fell on her head, completing the dirt that had accumulated over her body during their journey. His ears perked towards her as he heard her grumbling as she stood up trying her best to remove most of the moss from her hair. He smirked even more as she tried to walk, only to slip in the moss she had previously pulled out of her hair. However, his smirk faded to be replaced with an upraised eyebrow when she stayed down in defeat and rested her head in her hands. What was the girl doing? Surely, after all of her shows of independence and strength she was not giving up…

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Kagome sighed in defeat as she fell again in the moss. Raising her knees up to her chest, she rested her elbows on them and put her head in her hands. Despite her wish to stay strong while with Sesshoumaru and show no weakness, tears began to well up in her eyes at her hopeless situation, but she forcefully pushed them down, desperate to keep them from spilling over. Her first thought at having to go with him seemed okay since she might be able to help that little girl, but now…now all she wanted to do was go home. She was worthless…Inuyasha had told her so numerous times and now here she was proving, yet again, that he was right. She couldn't do anything! She could practically hear his accusing voice…

She stiffened as she heard footsteps coming towards her, and glanced out of the corner of her eye. The tears began to well up again as she saw the object of her distress approaching her. Furious, she swiped her hand across her eyes, smearing the dirt that coated her face, and turned to glare up at him. He had stopped a few feet from her and was now staring back at her impassively. Her eyes searched his entire face, but could not read his expression. It was completely devoid of any emotion…

She lowered her gaze at the familiarity of his eyes and the unwanted emotions it brought. How could she still think of Inuyasha with something less than the deepest loathing? He had always been rude to her, chosen someone else who would never love him over her, and stolen her humanity – made her something no one would ever accept. But at the same time he could be protective, say some nice things to her (even if he was half-conscious and on the verge of dying), and come to visit her in her own time (his own way of showing her he cared). She sighed. '_Why do I still care for him?_'

"What are you doing, miko? I thought you were stronger than this."

Her head jerked sharply to the side as she attempted to hide the sadness that had been growing in her eyes. She was livid that he had seen her weakness again…the one thing she had tried so hard to hide…

Putting on a façade of strength, she stood up and turned to face him fully. "I am strong!" she yelled at him for the fourth time that day. "I've been through more in the past year than you have in your whole life! You've probably been pampered and catered to all your life! That's why you're such an insufferable jerk!" All the time she had been yelling she had walked towards him until she was standing right in front of him, yelling at him in the face. He stood there emotionless, at least until she got up the courage to poke him in the chest at the word 'jerk.'

Moving swiftly, Sesshoumaru lashed his hands out, successfully capturing her wrists in his hands, and jerked her towards him. Instinctively, Kagome closed her eyes, waiting to feel the splitting of her flesh due to his sharp claws, but all she heard was his strong, commanding voice. "Do not make assumptions about my past, miko. You have no idea what my life is like."

Kagome's eyes flew open at his words. She had expected him to kill her for her daring gesture or, at the very least, speak to her harshly, so she was surprised when his words were spoken in a calm tone; one an adult would use when talking to a child of things they do not understand. Kagome found herself gazing once again into his golden orbs. She was falling, losing herself in them. Unconsciously, Kagome felt her cheecks begin to redden at their close proximity and the feelings that were rising in the lower portion of her body.

Suddenly she wrenched herself out of his grasp and staggered backwards, breathing heavily. She tore her eyes away from him to stare at the ground in front of her feet, and tried to sort out her feelings. The feelings seemed familiar, but she had only felt them before around Inuyasha. It made no sense that she would be feeling the same kind of feelings about Sesshoumaru (whatever those feelings were)…they were completely different!

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Sesshoumaru calmly stared at the miko as she stumbled backwards and glared at the ground. He had been slightly surprised when she had pulled back seeing how it seemed to contradict the scent she had been giving off. But then again, maybe he had just mistaken it – her scent of arousal…After all, it wasn't as if he was experienced in those sorts of matters. Becoming disgusted with his train of thoughts, Sesshoumaru mentally shook himself and refocused his attention on the miko. She had moved outside the area of moss on the ground, ensuring that she didn't slip and fall again, and was now standing there gripping the Tetsusaiga staring at him.

She spoke calmly and carefully, "If you do not mind, I would like to reach our destination soon." Her gaze shifted to the ground right in front of him. "I would very much like to rest…"

He couldn't very well blame her. It was only been yesterday that they had fought, and that fight had even tired him out, although he would never admit that. However, he could only imagine what it had done to her… But she had put on a brave front, even if she was seriously hurting, earning herself at least a sliver of his respect. But only a sliver; she didn't deserve anything more than that…After all, she was only a half-breed…

He turned his back on her cooly. "Then let us continue. That is, if you can keep up," he taunted, knowing it would anger her. For some reason he like to make her angry. The way her eyes would change from an innocent deep blue to an icy, electric blue intrigued him.

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Kagome did not take his bait. By now, she had figured out his little game and was not going to waste any more of her time and energy arguing with him. He just wasn't worth it. Instead, she sauntered up to stand beside his profile. Refusing to look at him, she calmly stated, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine; the only thing that you need to worry about his your own reputation." She paused as she looked out of the corner of her eye and saw his brow furrow in slight confusion at her words. "I mean, maybe it's just me but I wouldn't really be intimidated by a ruthless demon who let's two _human _girls accompany him everywhere. That just doesn't seem very threatening to me…" Kagome smirked to herself as she felt his anger raise a few notches at her audicity.

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'_Damnit! I knew I shouldn't have let her see Rin…_' he thought angrily.

"Come. We are almost there." He strode away quickly, figuring it safer than staying in her presence. He had never met a woman who dared to taunt him so bravely before! It had used all of his will power just to keep from killing her, which he would have done had it been anyone else. Well maybe not Rin…

Rin was beginning to make him weak…

'_Damn humans…_'

'_Damn women…_'

'_Damn mikos…_'

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Well there you go, everyone! Much longer than what I usually write, though not as long as what other people write…I have a short attention span! So, this was really good for me.

Once again, sorry for not updating in so long and from now on chapters will be at least this long or longer.

Please Read and Review!

Luckyducky


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